LUXE highlights two So-Cal makers whose soulful ceramics and elevated floor coverings can bring spirit to any interiors.
Philippa Agahzadeh
Philippa Agahzadeh is the Newport Beach-based designer behind rug company Atelier Agahzadeh. Born into a family of Australian sheep farmers, Agahzadeh has an intrinsic love of wool, though she also gravitates toward Alpaca, silk, linen and cotton. “My work is influenced by the environment, by the beach, and there’s an authentic energy here,” she says. “Breathing clean ocean air is revitalizing, so when my brain needs a refresh, I head straight to Crystal Cove,” she shares, noting that it’s where she sometimes goes to sketch. The self-proclaimed “paper and pen nerd” (she collects vintage paper when traveling and has a fondness for Artline pens) eschews pencil and works solely with ink. “I throw myself into the moment—no mistakes, just feeling.” Her designs are finalized at the company’s Dallas studio, where she spends part of the year, then handmade in Nepal “by a wonderful team of weavers,” she adds. This year, the atelier (which is represented by Holland & Sherry at the PDC) will see new collections from Agahzadeh, as well as collaborations with designers including Joshua Rice. “We’re really diving into how people use rugs in their homes,” she says, “and exploring how we can make pieces that are super functional, as well as timelessly beautiful.”
Caroline Blackburn
From her Sherman Oaks studio, ceramicist Caroline Blackburn creates clay vessels often described as “perfectly imperfect.” Her pieces have, not surprisingly, caught the eye of interior designers like Kelly Wearstler, Disc Interiors and Brigette Romanek, the latter of whom chose Blackburn’s work for Gwyneth Paltrow’s Montecito home. “I’m an L.A. native, and the carefree nature here encourages me to always experiment,” she says. “This city’s design and architecture, and Japanese arts and culture play a role in who I am as an artist; they’re all part of my L.A. landscape.” By opening or closing the pieces in unexpected ways and attaching additional elements, Blackburn dismantles the familiar concept of a vessel and creates abstract forms. “I want to create vessels that challenge your notion of harmony, unity and stability,” says the artist, who is represented by Twentieth. “My work is imbalanced, fragmented, imperfect and bruised intentionally,” she adds. “I find beauty in those flaws.”
